


enjoy the silence

by Frigid



Category: Vampyr (Video Game)
Genre: (mentioned) - Freeform, M/M, Pre-Relationship, transgender character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29095833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frigid/pseuds/Frigid
Summary: trans geoff only allowedreupload
Relationships: Geoffrey McCullum/Jonathan Reid
Kudos: 7





	enjoy the silence

Geoffrey staggers out of the Pembroke Hospital not entirely happy with what just happened, but he supposes him being alive and mostly unharmed is at least better than the alternatives. Reid’s voice, somehow still polite and cheery despite having had a deathmatch follows him all the way back to the nearest Priwen outpost before he passes out on one of the cots and sleeps like the dead - and isn’t that a droll thought?

When he wakes up, he winces at all the bruises Reid left on him making themselves known again, including some he didn’t notice before along with the familiar ache from falling asleep with his binder still on. The evening sun streams through gaps in the curtains - not quite late enough for the Skals and other denizens of the night to make their way out, but too late for further sleep.

His wounded body (and pride) is not quite enough to make him remain in bed to lick his wounds. Hauling himself out of bed, Geoffrey doesn’t bother changing his clothing before sending out the men still in the building on patrol. He reasons he’s only going to end up covered in the gore of Skals before the night ends anyway, making his way up to the Stonebridge cemetery before the last rays of sun disappear.

It’s probably unsurprising that he ends up before Carl’s grave. Geoffrey feels he should be more angry about what happened in the hospital, shouldn’t have trusted Reid enough to not chase him, and he can practically hear Carl’s voice berating him even though the man’s been dead for 5 years. The man practically raised him and for once, he was somewhat glad Carl wasn’t actually here to witness his moments of weakness.

“I’m having a slight crisis of faith, as Miles would have put it” he says softly, thinking of Carl’s old field medic, who’d passed on well before Carl. “I hate leeches, still do, I promise you that… but I can’t kill this one. I already tried. And I don’t know what to do about it.”

No answer comes, unless the howling of Skals in the lower cemetery and the wind whistling through the gravestones has any words for him. Geoffrey kneels, knees cracking. He’s getting too old for this shite.

“The doctor is different, I think. He’s still a vampire. He’s had the chance to feed off ou- my own men but he’s never done so. Never killed a citizen. Didn’t even kill me, given the chance.” Geoffrey looks down at the sword across his thighs.

“I know you still wouldn’t give him a chance. Or me, for that matter. You’d be saying that I’m too soft just like you said I would be, fa-” 

His voice cracks on the last line. He’d never been able to call Carl that when he was alive, and not even now when the man is dead. Geoffrey had been bullheaded enough on everything else, from when he’d followed Carl home after his parents’ death to when he was 15, taking a pair of blunt scissors to his hair after the older men had teased him for when he demanded they called him by his name . Carl had snorted at the uneven curls and his stubborn expression before pulling out his own razor and trimming it properly.

He took a deep breath, trying to wrestle his emotions back in line when footsteps echo behind him. It felt like every time he got closer to it, something took his chance away. The silence felt oppressive as vampire and hunter watched each other, caution holding each other back. Geoffrey keenly felt the presence of the flask still at his side with the blood of King Arthur, but held still for the ekon to make the first move.

As it turned out, he was glad he’d forgotten to leave the flask behind when leaving the outpost evening. Whilst he wasn’t entirely happy about giving the blood to Reid, Geoffrey wasn’t too proud to admit that the epidemic and the Disaster itself was far beyond his abilities.

Afterwards, however, Reid doesn’t leave immediately to finish creating his antidote. The doctor stood beside him, as they looked out over the city. For once, the heavy fog and rain that usually covered the city was absent, providing them with a clear view of the stars and the city below. The oppressive silence from before was gone, replaced with a quiet calm.

“Thank you, Geoffrey.” Jonathan says. He’s quieter than normal too, as if he doesn’t want to disturb this odd peace they’ve made. The doctor’s looking at him now too, expression inscrutable. He can’t quite meet Reid’s gaze, so it takes it by surprise when the doctor reaches out and pulls him closer.

Geoffrey doesn’t remember the last time he’d held anyone close. He lets Reid hug him, ignoring the way the doctor feels impossibly colder than that of someone who’s still alive, instead letting his head drop onto Jonathan’s shoulder. He doesn't hug back - he doesn't feel he can manage that quite yet, but he’ll accept this. They remain like that longer than Geoffrey will admit. Eventually, he shifts, and Jonathan takes the cue that the moment is over and steps away, fingers lingering along the cuff of Geoffrey's sleeves. Jonathan’s expression is almost sad as he leaves, but not pitying.

He supposes that the doctor now understands holding himself back from getting close better than anyone else would - after all, now that Geoffrey knows he cannot, would not let him be hunted, the doctor will outlive everyone else he knows including Geoffrey himself. He tries to tell himself that it doesn’t hurt to think about.

**Author's Note:**

> trans geoff only allowed  
> reupload


End file.
